For many years both health care professionals and athletic coaches have recognized that the pulse rate of an individual is a primary source of information about the current and long-term condition of a person's physiology. To the health care professional the measurement of pulse rate is a primary measurement taken at the outset of an examination and is a parameter which is measured regularly for continuing diagnosis and care. Hospitals are now well equipped for continuous monitoring of the pulse rate of patients in cardiac and critical care units. To the athletic coach and to the occasional and regular athlete, the pulse rate of the athlete is important and hopefully known. In the past attempts have been made to produce a portable pulse rate meter which can be carried by or worn by the athlete to provide current pulse rate information while the athlete is engaged in strenuous activity such as running. Examples of patents showing pulse rate meters to be worn or carried by individuals are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,978,849 to Harold S. Geneen, 4,009,708 to John J. Fay, Jr., 4,058,118 to Lawrence J. Stupay et al, 4,030,483 to Jack B. Stevens, 4,063,551 to James Sweeney, and 4,038,976 to Frank M. Hardy et al.
Numerous other patents have issued to inventors of complex pulse rate meters designed for non-portable hospital and other fixed installation use. Examples of such equipment are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,022,192 to Laukren and 4,018,219 to Hajaiban.
Numerous patents have issued on digital watches and various timing and display circuitry therefor.
Nowhere in the prior art has it been recognized that by combining a pulse rate meter with a digital watch, in addition to the normal advantages one might expect, the resulting instrument has greater contribution than the sum of its parts. It is believed that in the prior art no one has combined a watch giving real time with a pulse-rate meter. And more particularly, no one has used such a combination in which the precise accurate timing circuitry of the watch is used to provide both timing for the signal processing and display of pulse information. The additional accuracy possible allows the display of instantaneous pulse rate on a pulse by pulse basis unrecognized in the prior art. Further, the prior art does not recognize that by the simultaneous display of average and instantaneous values of the wearer's pulse rate, the comparison between instantaneous and average pulse rate may be accomplished to give a direct indication of abnormalities, and the exact time of the abnormality occurrence may be observed.